In connection with the extracorporeal treatment of fluids such as blood, different types of tube systems are normally used to conduct the blood to and from the patient, to and from the treatement unit, e.g. a dialyzer, and to and from different functional stations, such as stations for pumping, pressure measurement, temperature measurement, sampling, injection, etc. Therefore, after fixing and connecting the tube system to a control monitor, these systems are then connected to the patient, and to the dialyzer or other blood treatment unit. Furthermore, the more functions which are to be included, the more complicated becomes the tube system, as well as the nature of its being affixed to the monitor and connected up therewith.
Attempts have thus been made to integrate at least some of these functions into cassette-like units to be fixed to the dialyzer and/or to the front of the control monitor. Reference in this regard is thus made, for example, to British Patent Nos. 1,601,855 and 1,601,856, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,211,597 and 4,231,871, and European Patent Application No. 82.420073, published under No. EP 0 069 029.
Another such system for the extracorporeal treatment of blood is shown in British Patent Application No. 2110564A. The device shown therein includes a cassette with tube sections which can be coupled to the device, and which includes external measuring capability such as with respect to flow metering and the like. However, in this device pressure tranducer chamber 29 is stated to be integral with the cassette itself, and is specifically shown in FIG. 5 thereof as being associated with the tubing itself.
The search has therefore continued for improved such extracorporeal monitoring and treatement devices.